Duluthians are seeing spots again. It's happening in the forest as well as in the city. It's birthing time for white-tailed deer and those cute, vulnerable spotted fawns are appearing all over the place. On May 22, Wildwoods received a call about two "abandoned" newborn white-tailed deer fawns. The caller was advised to leave the fawns alone. They were behaving naturally.
Late May and early June each year in northern Minnesota, white-tailed fawns are born. A recent Facebook post by the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in St. Paul documented the season's first fawns there last week.
Many Minnesotans are pretty savvy about fawns and what is normal or not, but Wildwoods still gets calls each spring from concerned individuals who have discovered a fawn left alone by its mother. To them, it looks like the mother has abandoned her baby and the fawn will surely die without human intervention. The good news is that there are many caring, concerned people who respect wildlife and want to help if there is a need. In most cases however, fawns have no need to be rescued. Actually, rescue can be the wrong thing to do.
Newborn fawns can stand about 20 minutes after birth but they cannot outrun a predator until they are 6-8 weeks old. The female (doe) will hide her new fawn in a place that looks safe at night. The next day, if we discover that fawn, we might wonder about her choice of a hiding place. In town, you may discover a fawn in your backyard. Not long ago, Wildwoods was called about a fawn "hidden" in a bank drive-through.
Wild animal rehabbers will give you the following advice: Leave the fawn alone, watch from a distance that won't disturb the mom or baby, keep pets indoors and wait. In almost every case, this is intentional behavior and the fawn is safe.
ADVERTISEMENT
If the fawn is truly in an unsafe location, Wildwoods can give advice about a slight adjustment in its hiding place.
Fawns are born almost without scent. They instinctively lay motionless when frightened. Their red-brown coat, black nose and white spotted backs keep them well-camouflaged in the sun-dappled outdoors.
Normally, a doe moves away from its new fawn so as to not draw the attention of predators. The fawn patiently waits curled up where it was hidden until its mother returns to feed it. Mom is often within sight of the fawn. She won't forage more than a mile away. She returns several times a day to nurse. At that time she may move the fawn to a new location or the fawn may stay in the same spot for several days.
This is all totally normal behavior and the fawn is not in trouble. Even if the fawn cries for an hour or more, do not be alarmed.
In a rare case, the fawn may indeed need help. Obviously if the fawn is sitting at the roadside next to a road-killed doe, it has been orphaned. Or if the fawn is visibly bleeding or has a broken bone, it may need medical attention. If it is lying flat out on its side in an unnatural position, you should observe from a distance and call Wildwoods. If a fawn remains in the same place for two to three days and you don't seen the doe return, call Wildwoods for advice.
Prematurely jumping to the conclusion that a fawn needs help because mom is not around, is almost always the wrong thing to do. Fawns need mother's milk to grow correctly. They need other deer to teach them how to forage and survive in the wild.
If a fawn absolutely must be rescued, wildlife rehabbers try to raise it with other deer so that they remain wild and can live as they are intended. They should not bond with humans as this can be dangerous to their ability to live a natural life. If fawns are unintentionally kidnapped from their parents, it may be impossible to release them back to the wild.
If you see a fawn and question whether it needs help, call Wildwoods first.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fawn facts
Does normally have one fawn but can have twins or even triplets.
Normal newborn fawn position is with legs tucked under, ears upright and twitching.
If a fawn tries to run away, it doesn't need your help.
Keep people and pets away from fawns. Stress can cause their death.
Does won't return to feed their fawns if people are around.
Do not offer a fawn food or water. If it eats something it normally wouldn't, it will get sick.
By about six weeks, fawns will learn to forage with mom for their own food.
ADVERTISEMENT
John Jordan is a volunteer at Wildwoods. He is also a registered nurse who lives in Duluth with photographer Trudy Vrieze and a clowder of rescue cats.
Wildwoods is a 501(c)(3) wildlife rehabilitation organization in Duluth. For information on how you can help wildlife, including volunteer opportunities, visit wildwoodsrehab.org or call (218) 491-3604.
